Great Divide Samurai

Brewed by Great Divide Brewing Company
Style: Golden Ale/Blond Ale
Denver, Colorado USA

Bottle. Slightly hazy gold body supports a thin and white fizzy head. Aromas are slightly grassy with a touch of boring grain. Flavor has a little bit of a grassy/peppery zest at first and then fades to a sweet and grainy finish that is pretty reminiscent of macros swill. I’m not sure that I understand the point of adding rice... can’t I get that from most macros?

Bottle. Pours a hazy yellow with an average size somewhat-creamy white head. Mild aroma, sweet with some pale malt, rice and grain -- some light hops there too but it’s so mild, it’s quite nondescript. Flavour’s better, a little more flavourful then the aroma would suggest. Some fruit, rice and malt along with light citrus hops and some breadiness -- somewhat dull but would make a decent summer patio beer I guess. Light to medium bodied. Meh, I’ve had worse -- it’s clean and easy to drink but overall, it’s too boring.

Poured vigorously into a pint glass with a pale yellow colour and small white frothy head. Nose of floral hops and cotton candy. Initial taste is of citrus hops, grain and mild sweet malts and fruits. Finishing with a light bitter hops and dry chalky finish. Light bodied. Palate duration is average. Good head retention and lacing of the glass. Overall a great starter beer for the night.

Very excited to try this, I know Great D has some great brews, I even think there DPA is pretty good. Smells like any other clean pale yellow beer. Magnificent precipitant swirl in an otherwise pale yellow brew. Fine carbonation. Fizz is perfect as with most of Great Divide’s brews. Rather crisp and refreshing. Overall a very well behaved ale. There is however a slight bitter finish, that fades rather rapidly. Leaves no bad after taste.

Bottle. Hazy pale gold color with a bright white head. Green bell pepper aroma with some light biscuits. There is a little bit of grainy character. The taste is grainy bread crust with the rice character. There is some unsalted roast peanut shell. This is light and different. However, I am not sure of the goal with this beer. Is it just a gimmick to use some rice? Seems like it to me.

On tap @ brewery during the 2006 GABF open house. MIldly sweet unassuming aroma. Taste is sweet, you get the rice taste at first. Clean finish. An easy drinking beer, preferable to most BMC’s.

A nice golden ale. Aroma was so so with a hint of sweet malt and not much else. Pour was a light gold with a thin white ring for a head that didn’t stay around long. Taste was unoffensive and sweet. Tastes like a sweet Budweiser. If this was very cold and I was at a picnic it couldn’t be beat. I find it odd this is a summer seasonal and it just popped up now in December in Pittsburgh.

12oz bottle courtesy of Degarth. Pours a very lemonade-esq body with only a small white head. Very fizzy in appearance, resolves to a layer of foam. A bit of cloudiness to the body, but no noticeable sediment. Nose of wheat, citrus fruits, sweet malt, some bitter hops and grass. I believe I can smell some adjunct in there, but maybe that’s because I KNOW it’s in there. Flavor is pretty similar, malts and fruits, adding some grains. Med-long finish, bitter and drying. Slightly watery palate, light bodied and crisp. Refreshing. Interesting, but not something I would reach for very often.